The arrest of prominent Sunni preacher Mohamed Ishaq Kindo in Burkina Faso on the eve of Eid al-Adha has intensified concerns about the military junta’s tightening grip on dissent. Witnesses report that heavily armed security forces, including masked police and soldiers, detained the imam around 2 PM on May 26, sparking clashes with his followers that left several injured.
Local Islamic associations, including the Federation of Islamic Associations (FAIB), have urged calm and respect for state institutions, though no official explanation for the arrest has been provided. Tensions have been escalating for months due to a controversial draft law on religious freedoms, which aims to reinforce state secularism, regulate places of worship in public services, and curb extremist influences. The proposed legislation has drawn sharp criticism from Muslim groups, who demand its withdrawal.
Just days before his detention, an audio message attributed to Imam Kindo circulated widely, in which he cautioned authorities to “reflect more deeply on the consequences of their actions before proceeding.” Hours after his arrest, a pro-Kindo demonstration in Ouagadougou was forcibly dispersed using tear gas, further fueling public unease.
His case is not an isolated incident. In late March, another outspoken critic of the draft law, Imam Mahmoud Barro, vanished after publicly condemning the proposed measures. The crackdown extends beyond religious figures, as evidenced by the suspension of the General Union of Burkinabè Students (UGEB) for three months—renewable—on charges of “apologizing for terrorism.”
The union was penalized for a post denouncing the government’s “clear inability to address insecurity” and its failure to fulfill past promises. Human Rights Watch has condemned the move, describing the UGEB as “a vital voice in the fight for transparency and social justice since its founding in 1960.” A Burkinabè national in exile, cited by the NGO, warned that judicial authorities appear increasingly “subservient to the junta’s political and security agenda.”
“Silencing students will not resolve Burkina Faso’s deepening crises—neither the escalating Islamist insurgency nor the governance failures,” HRW emphasized. The organization is calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions against the UGEB and an end to the suppression of independent voices and fundamental freedoms.
Last month, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) also urged Burkinabè authorities to “uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens.” Yet, rather than easing tensions, the government’s actions seem to have deepened fear within society. Journalists now struggle to find willing sources, as the risks of speaking out grow ever more perilous—but dissent persists, quietly unfolding on social media and in private conversations among Burkinabè.
